Vylkove

Vylkove was settled in the 1740s by Old Believers leaving Russia after the church reforms, and they built it on the delta the only way possible: raised earth strips between drainage canals, with footbridges over them and boats as the way to get about. Many of the canals have been filled since, but enough survive that the town is still called the Ukrainian Venice. Boats run out into the delta channels and to the point where the Danube meets the sea.

What you'll find

• The canals - raised earth streets and waterways with footbridges between.
• The Old Believer churches - the community's churches and cemetery.
• The delta boats - flat-bottomed craft used to move about and to reach the reeds.
• The river mouth - the trip out to where the Danube reaches the Black Sea.

When to go

May to September is the season for boat trips and the delta. Pelicans and the reedbeds are best in late spring. Mosquitoes are severe in summer.

Practical notes

Many canals have been filled and the Venice comparison is generous. Boat trips are informal and prices should be agreed first. Mosquitoes in the delta are genuinely punishing.

Nearby

The Danube Biosphere Reserve surrounds the town, and Izmail is northwest.

Key facts